


Mr. Billionaire

by PerpetuallyGold



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-08 12:10:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13457970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerpetuallyGold/pseuds/PerpetuallyGold
Summary: The blonde laughs in disbelief, “What are you looking for a trophy husband too, Mr. Billionaire?”Ted knows his friends comment was made completely as a joke but he’s gone over 48 hours without a second of rest. His filter was off and his thoughts had an express ticket straight out of his mouth, “Yes.”





	1. Come Home To Me

“Married!?”

“Look, it’s not that big of a deal, could you just-“

“MARRIED!” Ted's voice could shatter glass, “You want to get married?”

That was… not the response Booster was expecting.

Looking around to make sure they hadn’t disturbed anyone, though how could they Ted basically owned the entire top floor. Booster raised his hands in defense trying to get his friend to lower his voice an octave or twelve.

Booster had shown up in the peak of the afternoon unannounced. Knocking on Teds door, wearing a blue button down, which no matter how bright it was couldn’t seem to rival Boosters eyes, and a nice pair of dark jeans that hugged his body in all the right ways. He was a walking dream, Ted thought offhandedly before remembering his own attire. A well-worn gray shirt with a fresh coffee stain on the bottom and some generic faded blue jeans. 

Ted looked anywhere but towards Booster at this point, his eyes darted from the floor to the ceiling with a hand resting defeated on his hip. All the while Booster couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the tired figure blocking the doorway. Trying to understand why his friend seemed so upset, he thought marriage was supposed to be happy news?

Trying to steady himself and calm his whirling thoughts, Ted took a deep breath and ran a hand through his already unruly hair. After staying up for two nights straight working on projects, this was not what Ted needed right now. What he needed was another hot cup of coffee and 3 more hours in his makeshift workshop.

Ted dragged his hand down from his hair and over his face to rub at his eyes.

“God, I-“ Ted shrugged defeated, “Do you want to come in?”

Taking his hand off his hip, he gestures halfheartedly to the inside of his apartment.

Not even waiting for a response, Ted backed away from the door and started for the kitchen.

His apartment was a mess. The sink overflowing with dirty dishes and his trash with empty take out boxes. As if the kitchen wasn’t enough, his current disregard for cleanliness carried on into the living room. In which Teds work has migrated out to. Blueprint papers spread out, blanketing the entire coffee table, spilling to the floor.

With a quick glance around the room it was clear to Booster that Ted was overworking himself, again.

If the room wasn’t enough evidence, Ted also looked as bad as his apartment. Booster could see the telltale signs - the heavy bags under his eyes, the way it takes him just a second too long to blink, and not to mention the fact that he both smells and looks like he hasn’t showered in a few days. Not that any of it bothered Booster one bit, he was used to this Ted.

Distractedly, Booster made his way to the couch.

“You want anything?” Ted called from the kitchen as he started another pot of coffee. What number pot was this? His fifth? Tenth? Who knows?

“Uh, long shot, but do you have mint tea?”

“Mmm, yeah.” Ted replied, reaching for the box of tea he keeps specifically for Booster behind his own enormous horde of coffee. Filing through the different flavors the box held, he plucked a packet reading ‘mint’ out of the assortment.

Waiting for their drinks they chatted about nothing of importance. Passing the time by remarking on what the rest of the league was doing as of recently and how their week has been.

A few minutes pass, the kettle screeches and the coffee maker dings. Ted finished preparing Boosters tea as if it was second nature, stirring in three teaspoons of sugar and a dash of honey. With a last minute thought, Ted mixed in a handful of sugar and a drop of creamer in his own coffee before making his way to the living room to join Booster.

“Thank you.” Booster muttered, accepting his cup. He held it close to his face, letting the steam warm his nose. Taking a deep breath, he let the minty smell ease his nerves.

“So what, you’re here to ask me to throw you a bachelor party?” Ted only half joked, taking a seat on the couch beside the blonde.

That got a chuckle out of the other man. Ted counted it as a success, his friend looked nearly as restless and on edge as Ted felt.

“No, no...” Booster shook his head, huffing out a final laugh. “I just wanted to see you.”

Almost as an afterthought adding on, “And pass on the good news, I guess.”

Instantly Ted rolled his eyes, “Good news?”

“Yeah, it’s been going good with Gladys. I enjoy her company, she’s funny and her friends are sweet. We even made rice pudding the other day, I had no clue that something so simple would be so good.” He rambles, stopping the take a sip of his tea. It’s obvious that he’s mentally fighting with himself over something, it’s displayed plain as day on his face. “Yeah, it’s been great.”

“Booster, that’s wonderful, but why get married? I don’t get it.”

“I like her, what’s not to get?”

“Yeah, you like her, but level with me here, you don’t really love her.” It wasn’t a question. Ted spoke like it was obvious.

“Yes, I-“

“Booster.” Ted shook his head, shooting his friend a knowing look. “You don’t love her. She’s practically three times your age, Boost. Yes, she’s a good friend, but, Buddy, what else could be there for you? You're 24 years old, why settle?”

The pair are quiet for a moment. Ted waiting for a response and Booster visibly trying to form one. The blonde again appeared to be fighting an ongoing internal struggle, he was noticeably hesitant to answer. As they’ve both finish off their warm drinks, Booster holds his cup close to his chest with both hands.

“I guess, no, I don’t love her.” He quietly admitted quietly, “But I _love_ the company she provides.”

Suddenly the cup Booster was holding became the most interesting thing in the room to him. Running his finger along the rim of the mug, he looked at it as if it held all the answers of the universe.

With a soft hand on his shoulder Booster looked up. Ted never looked so sincere, “You don’t have to marry someone to enjoy their company…”

“She, uh, wants a ‘trophy husband’ and I want…” Pausing, he takes a second to just look at Ted.

Booster huffed, uncomfortable with having to spell it out, he breaks eye contact. “With the League, the media, and just the entire shock of this weird new time... I like having someone to come home to. I want someone to come home to. Ted, this world is too different for me. Being able to go home to some level of support and... erm... distraction… it’s everything.”

Sure Gladys wasn’t exactly his first choice of who he’d like to go home to at the end of the day. Obviously he’d rather keep the blue and gold duo together on and off the field, but that’s just not something he thinks he can have. Not in the way he wants. One slip up is all it would take, it’d be too easy to mess everything up.

Shifting his position on the couch, Ted turns, tucking one leg under himself to fully face Booster now.

He's made up his mind.

“Don’t marry her.”

Booster’s brows rose and his lips pursed, telltale signs of an oncoming protest.

“Booster,” Ted sighed, “just hear me out.” Ted held up a hand, stopping any half hearted protests Booster might have. “Don’t do it. You want someone to come home to? You can come home to me-“ Clearing his throat as he feels his face heat up, “I mean you can live here with me. I mean you practically already do.”

The blonde laughs in disbelief, “What are you looking for a trophy husband too, Mr. Billionaire?”

Ted knows his friends comment was made completely as a joke but he’s gone over 48 hours without a second of rest. His filter was off and his thoughts had an express ticket straight out of his mouth, “Yes.”

“I…. I mean- I,” Damn him for even answering the door, Ted cursed himself. “Boost, I just don’t want you to feel like you don’t have any other options.” A poor attempt at covering up his previous slip.

Booster just stared, still caught on the immediate ‘yes’ that came out of his friend’s mouth.

“Booster, it’s hardly rocket science. It’s a yes or no question.” Ted yawned, falling to the side a bit to rest his head on the back of the couch.

“Well still be friends, right? Even if I mess up somehow?”

“So long as you don’t set the entire apartment on fire, we’ll be good, buddy. So is that a yes?”

With a nod of his head, Booster seals the deal.

Jabbing his thumb through the air behind him towards the door, Booster asks “So should I-“

“Yes, yes. Get your stuff. Go on.” Ted waved, resting his eyes for just a second. He still had work to do.

“Okay, I’ll just-“ Booster pointed towards the door again, reluctantly pulling himself from the couch and from Teds presence to make his way back to Gladys house one last time.

This would be… interesting.

The last thing Ted heard was the click of the door as it shut behind the blonde, before he fell into a deep sleep.


	2. "I met someone!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I met someone!”
> 
> Ted coughed, trying to clear his throat of the food he nearly choked on in shock.
> 
> “Met some… Someone?” Ted cautiously asked, his brain not working beyond partially repeating what his friend had said.

 6 Months Earlier

It was the middle of the day, the hands on Ted’s wrist watch pointed towards the hour he had come to know as his lunch break, when he remembered to take it. The short hand of the watch pointing directly at the 12, Ted sighed, giving into the sweet temptation of the leftovers he stored in the fridge earlier this morning. The thought of the cold takeout waiting for him was enough to make his mouth water.

His stomach growled as if to agree with his thoughts, motivating the CEO to step up his pace.

Ted had just opened his takeout box, the smell of cold Chinese food reminding him of the night before, a night full of laughter and close calls with his best friend, when his phone buzzed.

The vibration from his pocket causing him to groan.

Pulling out his phone, Ted rolled his eyes. It was Booster. Not about to let his cold takeout go room temperature before he could enjoy it, he shoved a fork full of food into his mouth, answering.

“Mmph- Sup, Boost?” He managed as he chewed.

“Hey, Teddy!” Not at all phased by the sound of his best friend chewing on the other end, “You would not believe what happened today!”

By now both Booster and Ted have known each other long enough to know how a conversation is going to go by just the tone of the other person. By the excitement in the blondes voice it was obvious this conversation was one that would be Booster heavy and Ted would hang on every word. He always did.

Boosters voice was full of life as he talked about his day. He had booked an acting gig downtown for a shaving cream commercial. Ted had already known this, he helped Booster practice for it the night before, half drunk and full of takeout.

They giggled uncontrollably as they wasted an entire can of shaving cream, throwing the musk scented foam at each other in the small confines of Ted’s bathroom. The only real practicing done being Booster trying to deliver his lines with a straight face, shaving cream covering half of it in a poor attempt at a two-face joke.

Ted laughs to himself, remembering the jab he made at Booster when he first told him about the commercial, saying he found it funny they chose him to sell shaving cream when Ted can’t for the life of him remember ever seeing the blonde with a single hair on his face.

Ted is however instantly ripped out of his pleasant memories of the night before by the words he hears coming through the phone.

“As if the day couldn’t have gone any better, I met someone!”

Ted coughed, trying to clear his throat of the food he nearly choked on in shock.

“Met some… Someone?” Ted cautiously asked, his brain not working beyond partially repeating what his friend had said.

Taking a swig of water to help ease the feeling of tightness forming in his throat, he unceremoniously tossed his fork into the half empty takeout box.

Ted ran his newly freed hand through his unruly hair. Heart pounding in both his chest and ears, he waited for a response, hoping for a ‘ _Bwa-ha-ha, just kidding_ ’ from the other.

That, as Ted feared, was not what followed.

“She’s great!”

Absolutely not what he wanted to hear.

Shaken and unsettled by his sudden shift in mood, Ted didn’t process a word said by his friend after that moment. It was clear that Booster was talking about his encounter with this mystery woman, who probably wouldn't be much of a mystery if Ted’s brain could just focus.

It took an attempt or two from the blonde to wake Ted from his daze.

“Ted… Teeeeeeeddy?!” Booster whined, obnoxiously drawing out the nickname. Seemingly oblivious to the rollercoaster of emotions his heroic other half was currently riding.

“Y-Yeah?” Still partially dumbfounded, Ted pulled himself back down to reality long enough to respond. Chewing on his bottom lip, worrying it to the point of splitting.

“I said, isn’t it great?!” The smile evident in his voice.

“Yeah, yeah. Buddy that’s wonderful. Just wonderful.” Sucking his bottom lip into his mouth, Ted ran his tongue over the wound he worried into it.

Over the phone Ted sounded genuinely happy for his friend and in a way he was.

Booster deserved someone in his life that made him feel this giddy.

Ted just wished it could be him.

It was something he tried not to let himself think about too much. There were more moments than he could count where he had almost let it slip, almost leaned in too far or lingered too long.

The jokes and banter that spread throughout the League about the two of them were partially based on truth after all, whether the other members (including Booster) realized it or not.

_________________________

The rest of the day went by as normal as any other, signing papers and editing blueprints. But as the hours ticked by Ted found himself repeatedly trailing back to the conversation with Booster.

"Maybe she’ll be a fling…” He mumbled to his gadget, “He’ll get over it in a few days, I’m sure…”

The part-time hero stared at the ball of scraps that was substituting as a therapist. Hoping it would give him the answers, tell him he was right and that Booster would grow tired of this new person.  

‘ _God, she’s probably around his age - she’s got to be younger than me._ ’ Ted grunted, defeatedly dragging his hands through his hair and down his face, comedically pulling on the bottoms of his eyelids and corners of his mouth, ‘ _God, and probably gorgeous. She’s gotta be to keep up with him._ ’

“Oh, what do you know.” Ted huffed, tossing the junk he was tinkering with to the end of his desk as if the thoughts were coming from the inanimate object.

He should be sulking at home, not at work far past his scheduled shift.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter, sorry!  
> I'm not super proud of this one, but it helps with some background building.  
> Also, I'm going to try and keep up with this fic.  
> With classes and work I can't promise a regular update but I hope you all stick around for the continuation of the story!
> 
> Fic name change!  
> Also not at all beta read and I'm sure it shows.
> 
> Feel free to comment! Tell me your favorite part, what you think about the story so far, what you're looking forward to, etc.  
> I love reading them all!  
> Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not 100% sure of where I'm going with this but I've had fun writing it so far and I hope you all enjoy reading it!  
> * I know the entire Gladys thing has been up in the air, but for the sake of this fic she's real.


End file.
